08-01-2016 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

We must also take squad issues and repairs into account. We looked at the service record for seven vehicles that were in use all of 2015 and year-to-date 2016. Those 7 vehicles were out of service a total of 52 times in 2015 and 30 times so far in 2016. We do not have data on the duration each vehicle was out of service, but we do know that squad 387 was out of service for over a month as we waited for a replacement part, 383 was down for three weeks with a power supply issue, and 383 was out of service for over 5 months while a battery issue was investigated. It is not uncommon to have two or three squads out of service at any given time. Another issue unique to the patrol squads is the compatibility between the squad camera and the assigned squad computer. With the current video hardware, you cannot take the tablet computer from one squad and put it into another. This results in a squad cars being out of service each time a squad computer is out of service. Miles per year/maintenance: The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) uses maintenance costs and mileage to determine the appropriate number of squad cars in a fleet. They suggest enough squads in a fleet to keep yearly mileage totals below 20,000 miles per vehicle. Their research has shown that, “after the threshold of 20,000 miles driven per vehicle, other maintenance costs per vehicle become much larger” (ICMA journal June 21, 2012). Squads are assigned and rotated based on mileage in an attempt to keep each below 20,000 miles per year. In 2013, we averaged 18,527 miles on each patrol vehicle. In 2014, we averaged 19,045 miles per vehicle. In 2015, we averaged 18,051 miles. To minimize costs, we use many parts from the vehicles that we are retiring from service and put them in new squads. This is a time intensive process and both vehicles are out of service until the new squad is outfitted. This creates the false impression of an increase in vehicles. If we are retiring three cars, and outfitting three new cars, it appears on paper as if we have six cars, when really none of them are suitable for patrol. Based on current community needs, the current state of the police division vehicles, and industry best practices standards; staff is recommending the purchase of three patrol vehicles and the purchase of two vehicles for investigations for use in the police fleet. Once authorized to make the purchase of the vehicles, it will take five to six months to have new vehicles in operation in the fleet, which equates to the mileage on the patrol vehicles to increase by 8,000 to 10,000 in that timeframe. Given this fact, staff will determine what vehicle replacement and rotations will take place when the new vehicles are available for deployment. The number of vehicles active in the police fleet will not increase as a result of this proposed vehicle purchase as three patrol vehicles will be rotated or taken out of service and sold and two investigations vehicles will be taken out of service and sold. The police division requires twenty-one vehicles to operate within the industry best practices. Not included in the twenty-one vehicles is the snowmobile, as it is not used on a daily basis.